Jaguar launches locally-built XF

Jaguar Land Rover's Pune plant has been churning out the Freelander 2 since May 2011. Since the facelifted XF already uses the Freelander 2's 2.2-litre diesel internationally, why not launch the same variant in India and produce it alongside its SUV cousin? That's exactly what Jaguar has now done.

JLR's facility in Pune has now started local production of the new XF, and in addition to the existing 3-litre V6 diesel and 5-litre supercharged V8 petrol, the XF will now also be available with the same 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine as seen on the Freelander 2. This four-pot motor makes 187bhp and 450Nm of torque, and sends its power to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic 'box from ZF.

The equipment list too makes for better reading now, with earlier options now being standardised across the range - rear-view camera, TV tuner, satnav, a dash-mounted touchscreen interface, paddleshifts, electric sunroof, rear electric sunblind and a full-size spare wheel now available as standard equipment on all versions.

Rohit Suri, Vice President, Jaguar Land Rover India said, "Our best-selling models in India are the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the Jaguar XF and this has driven the move to build these products locally. The Jaguar XF has become very popular with our customers due to its sports car performance, outstanding luxury saloon elegance and contemporary individual styling. Its inspired engineering and technological innovation have helped it to win more than 100 awards internationally. So we are now delighted to offer this car as a locally built product with a new engine for this market, which will enable us to provide our customers with a wider choice of competitively priced models."